Uniqueness and memorability are the benchmark for environmental slogans. It is not easy to achieve this, but when the environmental slogan works, it communicates in a way that is hard to beat. And if it can do so exclusively, it becomes part of that brand. Stadtwerke Berlin [Municipal Utilities Berlin] believed it was home and dry with its slogan. And rightly so?
Developing a protectable lifestyle brand is not easy. On the one hand, it should convey a clear message that benefits the company. On the other hand, it should be able to be protected as a trade mark. In practice, it is a balancing act! The case below provides some guidance.
Signs that use the term ‘gourmet’ are very popular in relation to food products, not least because they indicate a higher-quality item. However, as an EU trademark, these signs have already been refused 50 times – because they are classed as advertising material only. They praise one’s own products, but they do not indicate the product’s origin as coming from a specific company.
A great environmental slogan as part of one’s brand can be a game changer. Ultimately, it helps the general public remember a company’s core message about its products or services. However, one can also encounter limitations when attempting to build such a brand monopoly.
Catchy slogans are popular marketing tools for products and services. They are therefore often protected as trade marks. However, the greater their advertising impact, the stricter the requirements for their genuine use. Read what Apple had to learn in this context.
Taglines are a popular means of communication for companies. But when are they registrable as a trade mark and when can they be infringed?
A symbol of a company’s green credentials can attract customers. Under what circumstances could such terms be used in advertising? And can they be protected as a trademark?
Every company wants to present itself as sustainable and environmentally friendly. Brands that suggest this, or that can validly make this claim, benefit from greater popularity. Brands that score highly in terms of sustainability often achieve more sales. Yet why do these projects so often fail? And why do they fall short of providing the necessary value, given the money that has been invested in them? That’s what a well-known shirt manufacturer has recently had to find out.